Lumai's Mind

Chapter 7: Me, Myself and I

It's taco Tuesday!

I'm not kidding. It's the last week of school and just so the kids pay attention, the teachers bribe the kids with food. Marshmallow Monday was yesterday, tomorrow is watermelon, Thursday's thickshakes and Friday is a "feast".

I'm pretty sure Tyler is avoiding me. He doesn't even look at me. I'm a little hurt by it but I still knew it would happen eventually, better now before I was to attached. Besides, he's the one that sought friendship, I never initiated.

I still haven't gotten my phone back since MnM thinks the way I handled dinner was immature. She doesn't give a rats ass about the fact my 'father' has hit me twice. I'm this close to disowning them both and acting out so I'm sent away. Who cares if it's a cowards escape! Discipline boarding school is better than tiptoeing around my parent or being abused.

"Lumiere, in what order from closest to furthest are the planets from the sun?" Mrs. Jonas asked while knocking the desk in front of me. She was looking at me expectantly but I didn't answer. I wasn't Lumiere. "Well?"

"Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto just because it was a planet until 2006. Is that good enough Mrs. Johnson?" I answered sickeningly sweet but spitting her incorrect name with venom. She was a good teacher but she never gets my name right, so why should I get her's right.

"Watch you attitude and stop daydreaming." she warned but she didn't threaten. Mrs. Jonas doesn't believe in threats. I grunted in reply but she didn't retaliate.

I continued to zone out until the lunch bell rang. All the kids ran out to the canteen to get tacos but Mrs. Jonas called me back.

"You've never acted out before, you're usually quite quiet actually, so what's been happening to make you sass at me in front of the whole class?" she sounded curious rather than concerned and I wasn't sure if the question was meant to be rhetorical.

"Would you rather I sass in private?" I couldn't help myself, good teacher but not such a good person.

"No, I'd rather you stopped all this attention seeking. Being mean doesn't make you cool." It was as if she was trying to give me an epiphany through stern words.

"Saying random names doesn't mean you'll get it right."

"Why don't you ever correct me then? Why leave everyone to be confused?" Ooo, she's starting to get defensive. I wonder why that is?

"Because if you can't take the time to remember my name, even when you say it every morning in roll call, then I won't repeat it." Honestly, why would I correct people if they'd just forget it? It's a waste of time and energy.

And arguing with a teacher isn't?

'Not now!'

"Look, don't act like you're better than everyone else because you talked back to a teacher. You wanna rebel, don't do it in my class. You don't get tacos because of your disrespect and I'll be talking to your parents, Luka." she snarled. I wouldn't trust what the school council or whatever they called themselves made anyway. Those tacos could have anything in them!

"Still can't get my name right." I tsked, "Have a good lunch Mrs. Joke." I had no other mean J words, leave me alone. It was either that or Mrs. Jo-nasty...

I walked out on her fuming face and into the play ground. Only then did it click in my head that she was going to talk to my parents. The people who said they would send me away if I fucked up again. It was my last chance and I blew it over her getting my name wrong!

"Shit!" I cursed fast under my breath. "ShitCowDumbFuck!"

I ran to the back of the field, surprisingly no one hung out there. I crouched behind a bush and curled into myself, closing my eyes tightly. Not good! This is not good! Who knows what my da- that man would do, a slap for talking back to him but what's the price for publicly and privately insulting a teacher? And if you add that to my running away, 'bullying' and the police stunt?